Internal-combustion-engine construction



' 1502.922 R. L. SKINNER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CONSTRUCTION Filed July 21 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 15%, R. L. SKINNER V INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CONSTRUCTION Filed July 21, 1922 2 Sheets$heet 2 i m 126 ii H "12a W n I 1 1m 1: i; n A

Patented July 2 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH LQSKINNER, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO SKINNER AUTOMOTIVE DEVICE CO., INC., 01'' SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION-ENGINE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed July 21, 1922. Serial No. 576,516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH L. SKINNER, a citizen of the United States, residingat Detroit, in the county of \Vayn and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion-Engine Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in internal-combustion engines or motors and similar appliances equipped with means for drawing off fluids from around the reciprocatory pistons, such as the removal by suction ofthe excess lubricating oil and the gaseous or liquid fuel and products of combustion escaping past the pistons, whereby to effect an economy in oil consumption, the withdrawn oil being reclaimed and returned to the oiling system, and to bring about a prevention of dilution or contamination of the oil supply by reason of the removal of such escapingfuel and combustion products, and to effect a fuel saving by returning to the engine the abstracted fuel after separation from the ,oil.

This general plan is not now new, but this invention concerns more particularly or especially an improved piston arrangement in such a system. v

To this end, instead of having a separate oil-collecting groove surrounding the outer surface of each piston below and adjacent to its piston rings, in the new structure one of the piston-ring grooves in the piston is employed for this purpose, other parts being slightly changed to efi'ect the performance of the desired functions.

tons.

Referring to these drawings, it will 'be -coli Figure 6 1s an elevation of one of the pisseen that each one of the plurality of 'pis' tons 11 of the six-cylinder engine depicted has a number of parallel piston-ring grooves 102, 103 and 104 around its upper end, such grooves accommodating the corresponding expansible piston-rings 105, 106 and 107 If preferred or necessary, the lower pis ton-ring 107 may have an annular cavity or recess 108 provided in its inner surface whereby to supply adequate space between the piston-ring and the inner ,Wall of its groove.

Each piston 101 has a downward extension 109 extended beyond the normal lower edge of its skirt at one side only thereon, and, in register with such projection, the outer surface of each piston has a longitudinal groove 111 connected to the inner portion of the piston-ring or fluid collecting groove 104 inwardly of the piston-ring by the right angle passage or channel 112 and 113. v

Diametrically opposite the channel 11l-112 113, such piston-ring groove 104 is supplied with a vent or air inlet hole 114 extending from v the piston-ring groove through the piston wall to the hollow inte rior of the piston.

Each engine cylinder 115, water-jacketed at 116 at its upper part if the engine is of the water-cooled type, has a port 117 extended therethrough in register with the piston groove 111 and the skirt extension 109, such port being in communication with the groove when the latter is opposite the port and closed at other times by the skirt of the piston and the extension.

Each of such several cylinder ports 'of the multi-cylinder engine is connected by a pipe 118 to a pipe 119 common to all ofthem,

and'the middle portion of such latter pipe is connected to the lower part of a heater 122 by a pipe 121 extended around an end of the motor.

This heater 122 has an inner chamber to the lower end of which the pipe 121 is connected and the upper end of such internal chamber or compartment is connected by a pipe 123 to the top of a separating-tank 124 the bottom of which by an oil delivery pipe 125' is in communication with the engine sump, the top of such tank being also fitted with a.pipe connection 126 to the intakemanifold or carbureter connection 127 of the engine, whereby the withdrawn fuel may-be returned for consumption in the engine.

The outer or heating com artment, which surrounds the inner one of t e heater 122, is connected at 128 to the exhaust-manifold 129 of the engine and the lower portion of such outer or exhaust gas jacket is connected at 131 to an appropriate exhaust-pipe 132.

When each piston during its reciprocation brings its external groove 111 into register with its cylinder port 117, such groove will be subjectedto the suction of the intake-manifoldby reason of the connections 118, 119, 121,122,123, 126 and 127, whereby the piston-ring groove- 104, and particularly that portion of it inside of the piston-ring, will be submitted to sub-atmospheric'pres sure, so that the accumulated fluids therein and around the'piston-ring will be drawn or sucked out through the pipe connections specified and delivered into the separator 124 in which the oil is separated and' reclaimed from the other products and delivered through the pipe 125 into the engine sump, whereas the gaseous and gasified products brought into gaseous or. vapor form by reason of the action of the heater 122 are drawn through'the pipe 126 into the intakemanifold, where they pass with the. explosive mixture-from the carburetor into the cylinders for combustion.

To facilitate the quick. delivery of, the

' fluids in the several piston-ring grooves into the piping system specified, the air-vents 114 are of material assistance, and it should be borne in mind that the piston-rings are sufficiently loose in their grooves to permit the passageof gases and oil around them into the inner portions of such grooves for withdrawal in the manner specified.

The invention is susceptibleof a variety of embodiments in satisfactor ,form, but the one shown and described is t epresent preferred one.

.It should be borne in mind, however, that many minor mechanical changes may be made in such structure without departure from the heart and essence of the invention and without the sacrifice of any of its sub- 'stantial and material benefits and advanta es.

"it will be noted that, in earlier structures of this general type having a separate or special oil-collecting groove around the piston below its piston-ring grooves, the oil and other fluids in such supplemental groove, while being subjected to the withdrawing suction, are also more or less in contact with the inner surface of the cylinder wall with relation to which they are travelling at right angles to the direction of flowfoi the suction, resulting in a decreased efliciency in the oil removing action, but-in the present device, since' the oil and other fluids are withdrawn from beneath or inside of the piston ring, where they. have a more or less natural tendency to accumulate because of the reciprocation of the piston, and where they are not subjected to the action of the relative respondingly great diameter, it may be de-,

sirable to withdrawn the fluids from the groove at a plurality of points. i

No specific means has been shown for supplying the lubricating oil to the piston and cylinder since this is well understood in the art and may be readily accomplished by the ordinary splash or force feed system.

I claim:

1. ,Thecombination of a piston having a piston-ring groove and a piston-ring in said groove, said piston havin exterior disposed longit-u inally of the piston and in communication with said ring groove inwardly of the piston-nngQ 2. The combination of a piston having a plurality of piston-ring grooves, and pistonrings in said grooves, said piston having a groove on its exterior disposed longitudinallyrof the piston and in communication with the lower one of said piston-ring grooves, inwardly of its piston-ring. T

3. A piston having a piston-ring groove and a groove on its exterior disposed longia groove on its iston- 4. A piston having a piston-ring groove, v

a groove on the exterior of the piston in com munication with said piston-rin groove and an air-port connected with said piston ring groove substantially opposite said external groove and 'extendin inwardly through the piston-wall, in combmation with a piston-ring in said piston-ring groove.

5. A piston having a piston-ring groove and a groove on the exterior of the piston in communication with said piston-ring groove,

in combination with a piston-ring in said ton-ringgroove to Withdraw its fluid contents during at least a portion of the travel of the piston.

7. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of a cylinder having a port, means to apply suction to said port, a piston reciprocatory in said cylinder having a piston-ring groove and a groove on its exterior in communication with said piston-ring groove and in register with and adapted to connect with said port during its reciprocation, a piston-ring in said pistonring groove, and means to supply lubricating oil to said cylinder and piston, whereby such suction withdraws the fluid contents of said piston-ring groove.

8. In an appliance of tlie character described, the combination of a cylinder having a port, means to apply suction to said port, a piston reciprocatory in said cylinder having a piston-ring groove and a groove on its exterior in communication with said piston-ring groove and in register with and adapted to connect with said port during it reciprocation and an air inlet passage extended through the Wall of said piston and communicating with said piston-ring groove substantially diametrically opposite said exterior groove, a piston-ring in said pistonring groove, and means to supply a lubricant to said cylinder and piston.

9. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of a cylinder having a port, means to apply suction-to said port, a piston reciprocatory in said cylinder having a plurality of piston-ring grooves and a groove on its exterior in communication' with the lowermost of said piston-ring grooves and in register with and adapted to connect with said port during the reciprocation of the piston and an air inlet passage extended through the piston wall substantially diametrically opposite said exterior groove and communicating with said lowermost piston-ring groove, piston-rings in said piston-ring grooves, and means to supply lubricating oil to said cylinder and piston.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

RALPH L. SKINNER. [11. s] 

